In April 2015 OSF reached an agreement on strategic partnership and cooperation with Odesa organization of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine on the project “Civil society and media for the transparent local budgets!” supported by the European Commission and the Finnish Embassy in Ukraine.
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations and the media to promote the reforms and increase transparency of local budgets (earlier the project was implemented in partnership with Transparency International Ukraine).
In April OSF expert on budget and anti-corruption policy Ivan Sikora developed the methodology of local budgets transparency and integrity monitoring. Based on this approach, on May 21-24 OSF will train the participants of public initiative "For transparent local budgets! ' in Odesa. The research will be held in 15 cities of Ukraine. The initiative currently includes 40 non-governmental organizations and media from 17 oblasts of Ukraine.
Open Society Foundation is a think tank that focuses on public finance and local budgets. We were the first organization in Ukraine to join The Global Budget Transparency, Accountability and Participation Movement (BTAP).
The Foundation has 5 years of experience analyzing the budget of Kyiv (the largest local government in Ukraine). Our achievements include:
- In 2014 (for the first time in Kyiv) OSF initiated and achieved the first public discussion of the Kyiv city budget.
- In 2014 (for the first time in Ukraine) we visualized the budget of Kyiv for the residents, allowing a simple way to get acquainted with the capital city finances.
- In 2014 (for the first time in Ukraine) we analyzed the municipal target programs in Kyiv in terms of their impact (Programs for small and medium enterprises, land protection, etc.) and provided suggestions for city government.
- OSF brought to the agenda at national and local levels the negative effects of the new General Plan-2025 for Kyiv community. This town-planning document aims to legalize the land fraud. Advocacy campaign goes on.
- Following the invitation of ‘Samopomich’ OSF provided suggestions to the Procedure for the development, approval and implementation of municipal programs, being prepared by the city council member Maksym Hapchuk.
